In this section

86. TOLLESBURY. (C.e.)

Tollesbury is a parish and village on the N. side
of the estuary of the Blackwater and 7½ m. E.N.E.
of Maldon. The church, Bourchier's Hall and
Black Cottages are the principal monuments.

Roman

(1). At the restoration of the church about 1875
many Roman tiles, including flue-tiles, were found
in the nave, tower and S. doorway. If these were
not brought 3 miles from Tolleshunt Knights, or
from West Mersea, they presumably indicate the
site of a Roman building. (Brit. Arch. Assoc. Jour.,
XXXII, 418.) (See also Sectional Preface, p. xxvii.)

Ecclesiastical

b(2). Parish Church of St. Mary stands S.E.
of the village green. The walls are of boulder-clay
and the upper part of the tower of red brick;
the dressings are of clunch and Roman brick and
the roofs are tiled. The Nave and the ground
stage of the West Tower were built probably late
in the 11th century. Probably in the 14th century
the tower-arch was rebuilt. In the 16th or early
in the 17th century the two upper stages of the
tower were rebuilt. The church was restored in
1872 when the Chancel was lengthened and rebuilt
and the South Porch added.

The nave is an interesting example of early
work.

Architectural Description—The Nave (41¾ ft.
by 21½ ft.) has in the N. wall two windows, the
eastern modern and the western of mid 15th-century date and of three cinquefoiled lights with
vertical and transomed tracery in a two-centred
head; the jambs and label are moulded and the
mullions are modern; further W. is the N. doorway, all modern except a few stones in the jambs
and rear-arch; in this wall are three original
windows, now blocked and all to the W. of the
modern window; they are only visible externally
and are set regularly spaced and high in the wall;
the jambs and rough semi-circular heads are of
boulder-clay; one of these windows has recently
been opened out. In the S. wall are four windows,
the easternmost and westernmost are modern;
the second is uniform with the 15th-century
window in the N. wall but the transom is embattled; the third window is of late 11th-century
date and similar to the blocked windows in the
N. wall, but more carefully built and perhaps
lengthened and widened; W. of and below this
window is the S. doorway (Plate, p. 142) with
15th-century double chamfered jambs and two-centred arch with a moulded label; the splays
round rear-arch and tympanum are of late 11th-century date and of Roman brick; between the
two eastern windows is a 15th-century doorway
with a two-centred head and now blocked; it
formerly opened into the rood-loft staircase.

The West Tower is of three stages, the lowest of
late 11th-century date and the two upper of brick
and of the 16th or early 17th century. The
embattled parapet was probably repaired in the
18th century. The tower-arch is probably of late
14th-century date, much scraped, and is of four
chamfered orders, the inner order two-centred and
dying on to the chamfered responds and the other
orders segmental-pointed; above the arch is a
rough relieving-arch partly of Roman brick and
perhaps built of the materials of the 11th-century
tower-arch. The W. doorway and window are
modern. The second stage has in the N., S. and
W. walls a 16th or 17th-century window, each of
one light; the S. window has a reused trefoiled
head of stone; the W. window has a rounded
head of brick; both have square labels of brick;
the N. window is covered by a clock. The bell-chamber has in each wall a brick window of two
lights in a square head with a moulded label; the
E. window has lights with rounded heads but the
others have cinquefoiled stone heads reused.

Tollesbury. Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin.

The Roof of the tower is probably of early 17th-century date and is pyramidal with diagonal ties
and an upright post in the middle.

Fittings—Bells: six; 3rd by Miles Graie,
1604; 5th by Miles Graye, 1661, bell-frame
probably early 17th-century. Book: some pages
of a Great Bible of 1540. Brass and Indent.
Brass: In nave—on S. wall, of [Thomas Freshwater, 1517, and Margaret, his wife], with figures
of man in fur-lined gown and woman with pedimental head-dress, group of nine daughters,
indents for inscription-plate and two sons. Indent:
In nave—in S. wall externally, fragment of Purbeck marble slab with a few letters of a Lombardic
inscription, early 14th-century. Chest: In tower
—plain with iron straps at angles, possibly 17th-century. Monument: In chancel—on N. wall, to
Jane (Kempe), wife of Thomas Gardiner, 1654,
richly carved, veined marble tablet with pediment
and four shields of arms. Plate: includes cup of
1562 with three bands of incised ornament and
a plated pewter flagon, late 17th-century. Stoup:
In S. porch—with rounded head, 16th-century,
bowl broken.

Condition—Good.

Secular

b(3). Bourchier's Hall, nearly 1¼ m. N.W. of
the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and
plastered; the roofs are tiled. It was built in
the 14th century and originally consisted of a
great Hall with aisles probably on both sides and
cross-wings at the N. and S. ends. In the 16th
century the staircase wing was added on part of
the site of the former E. aisle, the S. cross-wing
destroyed and the Hall divided into two storeys.
There are 17th-century additions on the E. side
and a modern addition at the N.W. angle.

The house has interesting timber construction
of the 14th century.

The W. front has the main roof carried down
low over the former W. aisle and in it have been
inserted two gabled dormers. Inside the building
the former great hall has been cut up into rooms
and the oak columns which must have supported
the middle roof-truss have apparently been
removed. The main roof of this building remains
and the original roof-truss has a cambered and
moulded tie-beam, with curved and moulded
braces forming a two-centred arch; the octagonal
king-post has a moulded capital and base and
four-way struts; the common rafters are continued
down over the former aisle on the W. side and there
are definite indications that they continued over
a corresponding aisle on the E. side which has been
destroyed. All the original timbers are much
blackened with smoke. The S. bay of the main
roof has two intermediate collar-beams supporting
upright posts. In the E. wall of the staircase wing
is a 16th-century window of three lights with
moulded mullions and now blocked. The 17th-century addition has exposed ceiling-beams.

At Guisnes Court, 150 yards W. of Bourchier's
Hall, is a considerable quantity of early 16th-century linen-fold panelling said to have been
removed from Bourchier's Hall; there is also an
early 17th-century overmantel (Plate, p. xxxiii)
probably of the same provenance and with fluted
Ionic pilasters flanking the fireplace, a fluted
frieze with carved lions' heads and an overmantel
of three bays divided by coupled Ionic columns on
pedestals; the panels have arched heads and
enclose an achievement and two cartouches with
painted arms of the Gardner family.

Condition—Good.

b(4). The Cage, at the N.W. corner of the
churchyard, is a square building, timber-framed
and weather-boarded; the pyramidal roof is also
boarded. It was built probably early in the 18th
century but many of the timbers have been
renewed. At the apex of the roof is an acorn-shaped finial.

Condition—Fairly good.

Monuments (5–28).

The following monuments, unless otherwise
described, are of the 17th century and of two
storeys, timber-framed and plastered or weather-boarded; the roofs are tiled. Many of the buildings
have original chimney-stacks and exposed ceilingbeams.

Condition—Good, or fairly good, unless noted.

b(5). Tollesbury Hall, now three tenements, S.
of the churchyard, was built probably in the
15th century with a central Hall and cross-wings
at the E. and W. ends. The W. cross-wing has
since been altered and the main roof extended over
it. The central chimney-stack has the lower parts
of three 16th-century octagonal shafts, now covered
with cement. Inside the building the roof of the
E. wing has an original king-post truss.

b(6). Cottage, two tenements, 50 yards S.W. of (5).

b(7). House, two tenements, on W. side of the
Green, 70 yards N. of (6), was built probably in
the 16th century with cross-wings at the N. and
S. ends. It has been refronted with modern brick.

b(8). House, three tenements, on E. side of the
Green, 60 yards N. of the church, was built late
in the 16th or early in the 17th century. The
ground storey in front has been refaced with
modern brick and there is a cross-wing at each end.

East Street

b(9). Cottage, two tenements, on S. side of street,
100 yards E. of (8).

b(10). Range of four tenements, E. of (9).

b(11). Cottage, three tenements, on N. side of
street, 70 yards N.N.W. of (9).

Condition—Poor.

Main Street, N. side

b(12). House, two tenements, at N. end of the
Green, 100 yards N.N.W. of the church, has been
refronted with modern brick.

b(13). House, two tenements, 100 yards W. of
(12), has been refronted with modern brick.

b(14). House and three shops, 70 yards W. of
(13), has been in part refronted with modern
brick.

b(15). House, two tenements, W. of (14).

b(16). Cottage, three tenements, 360 yards W.
of (15), has an original central chimney-stack with
a moulded capping and plain pilasters to the shafts.

S. side

b(17). House, two tenements, 200 yards E. of (16).

b(18). Black Cottages, house, E. of (17), was
built c. 1520 with a cross-wing at the E. end.
A W. cross-wing has probably been destroyed.
Inside the building the two W. tenements formed
the Hall and the ground floor has moulded ceilingbeams and plates, elaborately carved with twisted
leaf ornament (Plate, p. xxxvii); the joists are also
moulded. The upper storey formerly projected
in front. The E. wing has an original cambered
tie-beam with curved braces.

b(19). House, three tenements, 110 yards E. of
(18), was built probably c. 1666, which date with
the initials R.B.C. appears in a sunk panel in the
central chimney-stack; the shafts have diagonal
pilaster-strips.

b(20). House (Plate, p. xxxi), three tenements,
60 yards E. of (19), was built late in the 15th or
early in the 16th century, with a central Hall and
cross-wings at the E. and W. ends. The Hall was
subsequently divided into two storeys. The upper
storey projects at the front ends of the cross-wings.
Inside the building the former hall has a passage
representing the 'screens' at the E. end and in
the E. wall is an original doorway with chamfered
jambs and ogee head, now blocked; a second
doorway, said to be similar, is now papered over.
In the N. wall of the W. wing is an original window
with a rounded head and one diamond-shaped
mullion still in situ. Both cross-wings have remains
of the original roof-trusses.

b(21). House, three tenements, 120 yards E.
of (20), was built probably early in the 16th
century and formerly had cross-wings at the E.
and W. ends, both now covered by the main roof.
The upper storey projects at the front end of the
former E. wing.

b(22). Prentice Hall Farm, house, 1,000 yards
W.S.W. of the church, has a later wing on the
W. side. The original central chimney-stack has
plain pilasters at the angles and oversailing courses
at the top.

b(23). Bohun's Hall, house and barn, ¼ m. S.
of the church. The House has a wing at the N.
end of 16th or early 17th-century date, but the
rest of the house was rebuilt probably late in the
18th century. The old wing has original moulded
barge-boards.

The Barn, W. of the house, is of six bays with
two porches; the roof has queen-post trusses.

d(24). Roll's Farm, house, nearly 1½ m. S.W.
of the church, was built probably early in the
16th century and has a cross-wing at the E. end.
At the W. end is a modern addition perhaps on
the site of a former W. wing. The upper storey
projects at the N. end of the cross-wing. Inside
the building the ground floor of the E. wing has
original moulded ceiling-beams and joists and in
the W. wall is a doorway with a four-centred head.
In the main block is a chamfered ceiling-beam
supported by a moulded bracket.

b(25), Bourchier's Lodge, house, 20 yards S.
of (3), has modern additions on the E. side.

b(26). Cottage, 300 yards N. of (3).

b(27). Old Hall Cottage, ½ m. E. of (26), has
been rebuilt except the central chimney-stack
which has attached diagonal pilasters.

a(28). Salcottstone Farm, house, 1¾ m. N.N.W.
of the church, was built in the 15th or early in
the 16th century, with a central Hall and crosswings at the E. and W. ends. The E. wing has
been destroyed and the W. wing is now included
under the main roof. The 17th-century chimney-stack has two diagonal and one square shaft.
Inside the building the former Hall, now divided
into two storeys, has an original king-post truss
in the roof.

Unclassified

c(29). Red Hill, N. of Woodrolfe Farm, and
about ¾ m. E. of the church. There are others on
Wick Marshes.